Description
This Olive Garden Salad is a fresh and vibrant mix of crisp American salad blend, pepperoncini peppers, tomatoes, red onions, black olives, croutons, and parmesan cheese, all brought together with a flavorful homemade dressing made from olive oil, white wine vinegar, parmesan, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning. Ready in just 11 minutes, it’s a perfect side dish for any meal or a light, refreshing main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 10 ounce bag American Salad blend
- 6 pepperoncini peppers
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 12 black olives, sliced
- 1 cup croutons
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
Olive Garden Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: Using a cheese grater, grate the parmesan cheese fresh for optimal flavor and texture.
- Blend Dressing Ingredients: Combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, freshly grated parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning in a blender.
- Blend Until Smooth: Use the blender’s pulse or blend function to mix all ingredients until the dressing is smooth and well combined.
- Make the Salad: Wash and chop the tomato, then slice the black olives and the red onion thinly for even distribution of flavors.
- Combine Salad Components: In a large bowl, place the American Salad blend, then add pepperoncini peppers, chopped tomato, sliced onions, sliced olives, croutons, and the grated parmesan cheese.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Using salad utensils, pour the homemade Olive Garden Salad dressing over the salad ingredients and toss thoroughly to coat everything evenly.
- Serve or Store: Serve the salad immediately for the freshest taste or store the dressing separately in the refrigerator to add just before serving.
Notes
- For a crispier texture, add the croutons just before serving to prevent them from getting soggy.
- The homemade dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Adjust garlic salt amount to taste if making the dressing lower in sodium.
- Use freshly grated parmesan for best flavor instead of pre-grated cheese.
- This salad pairs well with a variety of main dishes, especially Italian-style meals.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: Olive Garden Salad, Homemade Salad Dressing, Italian Salad, American Salad Blend, Pepperoncini Salad, Easy Salad Recipe, Vegetarian Salad
